LETTING THEM PLAY — The officials are not calling a whole lot. N’Diaye was pushed to the floor and Johnson is beating up Wilcox. Players need to adjust. This is Simmons kind of game. And Andrews. Maybe that explains why both just checked in. UW 32-28, 16:33.

SECOND HALF — Same starters for both teams.

HALFTIME OBSERVATIONS — Good half for the Huskies. To steal a phrase from Romar, they’re playing with a heartbeat tonight.

Washington is as lively and energetic as any game this season. The Huskies are receiving contributions from several players. Wilcox, Gaddy and Kemp each have six points. N’Diaye has seven rebounds and Gaddy has three assists.

The Huskies have corralled Arizona’s main scorers, but they’re having trouble with Tarczewski who has nine points and four rebounds. No other Wildcat has more than four points.

Got to believe, Washington wants to continue doing everything it did in the first half. Arizona’s leading scorers Lyons, Hill and Johnson are a combined 4-14 for seven points.

IT’S ELECTRIC — There’s a current of energy flowing through the building. It’s amazing. Hadn’t felt this in a long time. The crowd is cheering everything positive from the Huskies. Almost lifting their play. You hear moans, groans and cheers on every play. Mostly cheers. UW 16-5, 11:52.

SECOND SUB — Simmons is in, Kemp is out. UW 12-5, 14:05.

FIRST SUB — Andrew Andrews is in for Suggs. Change in lineup paying early dividends for Washington. Shawn Kemp Jr. has 6 points. UW 12-5, 14:57.

GOOD CROWD — Not a sellout, but the crowd is very loud. It is definitely making a difference. Just all around loud and annoying. UW 10-3, 15:44.

ARIZONA TIMEOUT — UA coach Sean Miller called timeout to halt the Huskies’ momentum. This is a perfect start for Washington, which has forced three turnovers and scoring layups at the other end. UW 8-2, 17:04.

RUSH TIME — Pac-12 director of officiating Ed Rush is in the house. We’ll see if his presence improves the refs’ performance.

WHERE IS EVERYBODY? — We’re about five minutes away from the start and there’s still plenty of empty seats. However, the three sections of the student section is filled. I hear via twitter folks are stuck in traffic for the 6 p.m. start.

JJ DRAWING INTEREST — Spoke to a NBA scout who said redshirt freshman Jernard Jarreau is an intriguing pro prospect. For a second, I thought he I didn’t hear him properly. But he spoke glowingly of Jarreau’s length and potential. Apparently, he’s watched JJ a few times and believes the redshirt freshman could develop into something special. The scout said: “He’s got all the things we look for. Good length. He can shoot it a little bit. He can handle it a little bit. He just needs to continue getting better.”

NBA IN THE HOUSE — Spent the last 20 minutes talking to four NBA scouts. Good time catching up with old friends. They’re here to look at Wilcox, Lyons, Ashley, Tarczewski and Hill.

LUCKY WINNERS — Two Dawg Pack members were picked out of the crowd and will sit on the bench during pre-game warmups.

WALTON MAKING THE ROUNDS — Gotta give it up to analyst Bill Walton. The guy puts in work before the game. He’s been talking to Lorenzo Romar, Arizona and Washington players and the sports information directors from both teams since 4 p.m.

ATOMIC DOG — If George Clinton’s most popular song is playing, the doors at Alaska Airlines Arena are open and the Dawg Pack is pouring in. The middle section is already filled with students more than an hour before tip off.